The Crazies

(1972) ***1/2

I was hoping to start off with a nasty old 70's splatter-fest courtesy of George Romero. While the back of the box promised unlimited violence and gore, it actually delivered a more bleak, depressing scenario that explores what happens when a paniced government with too much power is forced to deal with the horrific problems that it created. So for all of the paranoid people like myself, it is a very appropriate time to watch the Crazies. Basically, the US government
developed a new germ warfare weapon codenamed Trixie. The virus accidentally gets into the water supply in a Pennsylvania community which threatens to spread mercilessly throughout the entire country if it is not properly contained. Those who get the virus either die painfully or go irreversibly insane. What I love about Romero movies is how he takes them so damned seriously and if nothing else, the Crazies helped him set up a concise template for his crowning achievement - Dawn of the Dead. The government soldiers sent in to round up the masses and control the outbreak wear creepy white suits (that of course, get covered in blood). Because time is of the essence they violently kidnap and kill the innocent people in the community without ever explaining to them what is going on. The town is forced to flee or fight while more and more people are losing their minds. The film itself dragged at times but the story is solid and begs a remake.